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The brutal abuse of “Bus Stop Cat,” Missy, her injuries so extreme she had to be put down, was heard and felt around the world. The thirteen-year-old ginger kitty was known to greet people as they came and went from the bus stop in the Leigh Park area of Havant. For close to ten years, at the Number 39 stop, she sat on the bench and spent her day socializing with the riders. Sadly, her owner, Richard McCormick, saw Missy return one evening with severe injuries, and when taken to the vet, it was discovered there was no hope to save the beloved cat.
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So many lives did Missy touch on a daily basis, bus driver Craig Cockram raised £5,000 ($7,200) for a memorial in her honor. Faith Ponsonby, Mayor of Havant, unveiled the memorial bench constructed from oak featuring a sculpted Missy, from sequoia to match her coloring, curled up at one end, as she had been often seen by passersby. Unless it was to content herself in someone’s lap. People from as far away as Australia and the United States also donated in Missy’s name, often leaving sympathetic messages for those so affected by the tragedy.
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